It's all about Grace

Taken from a handout given by Revd Ian Sinclair today in Church.

Ephesians 2: 1-10

Ephesians 2

Made Alive in Christ

 ¹ As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh^[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

 1.      G - God's gift to me

'All of us need to be made right with God by his Grace, which is a FREE gift....through Jesus Christ'  (Romans 3:24)

2.        R - Receive by Faith

'For it is by Grace you have been saved, through Faith...and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast'  (Ephesians 2:8-9)

3.       A - Available to All

'The promise is not only for those people that live under the Law of Moses.  It is for anyone who lives with Faith like Abraham'  (Romans 14:6)

'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved'  (Romans 10:13)

4        C - Grace comes through Christ

'The Law was given through Moses, but Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ'  (John 1:17)

'...many people have received God's gift of life by the Grace of the one man, Jesus Christ'  (Romans 5:15b)

'Don't treat the Grace of God is meaningless.  For if we could be saved by keeping the law, then there would be no need for Christ to die'  (Galatians 2:21)

G  God's
           R   Riches
                         A   At
                                        C   Christ's
                                                        E   Expense


5.      E - It Extends throughout Eternity

'The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord'  (Romans 6:23)

'The Lord longs to be gracious to you'  (Isaiah 30:18)